We’re Number 1

We’re number 1! The United States of America is number 1 again. At long last, after a great deal of anguish, America has gained the number 1 ranking in the world. Unfortunately, this number 1 position is not is not is the area of reading (15th). We failed to achieve that rank in math comprehension (31st) as well. Forget about graduating scientists (23rd) also. So, where did America achieve this honor??? Well, it seems that we’re number 1 in gun ownership. In America, today, there are 90 guns for every 100 Americans. There are enough privately owner guns to furnish nine out of ten men, women, and children with a firearm. Just in case there are fears of being knocked off of the number 1 pedestal, Yemen is a distant second with a measly 60 guns per 100 people...not even close! Oh yes, we’re also number 1 in gun deaths with 30,000 deaths per year from gunshots and we’re number 1 in gun injuries with another 200,000 non-fatal gunshot wounds (need to improve aim?) per year. At a time when conservatives rally around the need to cut spending, we spend over one billion dollars a year on the results of guns. Guns may not kill people but they sure blow a big hole in governments’ budgets.